Evaluating the St. Louis Cardinals’ 3 options with Jack Flaherty

The St. Louis Cardinals are going to have to make a major decision on Flaherty’s future over the next two seasons. What are the club’s options?

Since debuting in 2017, Jack Flaherty has been one of the best pitchers in baseball. Although Flaherty has battled multiple injuries and a weird COVID year, he still ranks 19th in baseball since his debut in ERA (3.34) out of pitchers who have started at least 50 games during that stretch. Fans have seen flashes of dominance from the Cardinals ace, including arguably the greatest second half performance from a starter in history when he posted a 0.91 ERA.

With all of the promise and runs of success that Flaherty has brought to the Redbirds, there have been reasons to be concerned about his long-term future with the club. Since 2020, Flaherty has battled injuries that have clearly impacted his performance, and after a great start to 2021, he was once again bitten by the injury bug.

Cardinals fans would be quick to point out Flaherty’s apparent frustration with the organization over the last few seasons. Flaherty’s arbitration battle loomed heavy last offseason, and there have been interactions with reporters over the last few seasons that have some fans questioning his attitude.

Whether fair or not, there is growing speculation about the ace’s future with the club beyond the 2023 season. Let’s look at the three scenarios that could come into play over the next two years.